Scale Model Tips - Testing 10 Different Waterslide Decal Solutions - Is There A Clear Winner ?? 

Bro! These companies should be paying you. That was an extremely well put together and thought out professional break down of the various options. Fantastic work

Okay...this is the ONLY decal setter video you ever need to watch. Perfection!

Your time and financial sacrifice is so appreciated to us modelers. Thank you so much

Holy crap! Over an hour?! ...EDITED!! Wow, thank you so much for taking so much time to set up and run such a great test! You, Sir, are a legend.

I’m 73, been using Micro Set/Sol successfully for decades. Must give Timaya now. Thanks for great video!

Barbatos, I will never stop saying to myself “wow! He makes great videos!” Even though they’re so long of length. They don’t feel too choppy becasue you omit music, special effects, on-screen graphics, etc. which makes the video so much more digestible. I feel that your videos are the best because of this, the over-the-top pop or electronic music in most vids about these do not make understanding the topic easier. Yes, it may work for a model building/painting timelapse, but they don’t work for tool reviews or the higher precision things like paints. They are highly informative and actually make the hobby fun. It makes it easier to explore new techniques and tons of paints!

GSI Creos strikes again with an excellent product. Was looking for reviews on decal solutions and when your video popped up I knew it would be the only one I needed to watch. Just ordered a pair of the Mr. Mark solutions.

Thanks for these product reviews. You are the Consumer Reports for scale modelers.

If you want a comprehensive run down on anything to do with scale modelling, you really are the guy to go to! Appreciate all the hard work! 👍👍

I'm trying modeling again after 40 plus years. Things have come along way since the 70's! You videos have been stellar! I'm still gathering tools and materials to try my new first kit. Thanks very much!

These videos are absolutely invaluable! Your hard work is very much appreciated. I've been using the decal tray for a couple of years and I love it. Its so handy. I found it was quite light as well so I glued it to a heavier base which makes it a lot more stable.

I'm essentially brand-new to the world of doing-more-than-out-of-the-box and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your efforts.

Just got into gunpla and airbrushing. Your channel is a goldmine. So much information and product demonstrations. Everything is super helpful! Thank you!

Awesome video! Finally someone was able to show me and differentiate the different kinds of decal solutions being sold in the market nowadays! Thanks! Now I know which product to purchase! I have been watching all your videos and learning a lot of things from you. Please keep up the good job!

I started modeling a few weeks ago and you videos have been so useful and full of vital information in achieving the best outcome possible. Thank you for taking the time to make such thorough demonstrations of products and techniques!

Hats off to you sir! You’re doing the lords work. You’ve done my dream tests but with infinitely more patience and skill!! Incredible video.

Your channel gets better and better the more I dive into it. The quality of production/editing and the level of detail you go through to try and help as many people as possible is something else. Even as a veteran of the plastic hobby world, I still learn from your videos every time.

I found a bottle of Tamiya mark fit super strong and it works like a charm

I watch all your videos, they are great! For someone like me, new to airbrushing, having been away from RC and modells for a long time...(and as I have chronic pain, I get my pension...so not too much to spend on hobbies...for me quality of life improvers really) it is so great watching you videos and get a better idea of where to spend what I have to spend. Not to mention how to use the things I do buy. I'd like to thank you, really, I appreciate it a lot!

I'm really impressed how much work you put in your videos. Realy appreciate your testing videos.

My personal favorite decal solution has always been Walther's Solvaset. It is a bit on the powerful side but, it really does settle decals down to looking like paint! Care has to be taken when using it on very old 20 - 30 year old decals though.

I use a little drink warmer on the lowest setting to keep my water warm. It does a great job to ensure waterslides quickly release over my entire session.

Excellent work. I’ve just used micro scale for years. I have a bottle of mark fit strong I use as well. But seriously, the Mr. mark setter is clearly the best. It will be on my table next week. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

This video is worth 1 million views.

Walthers Solvaset has been my go-to decal solvent for decades. I am surprised that it was not mentioned in the video. I have tried nearly all of the setting solutions mentioned over the years, but I keep going back to Solvaset as my defacto standard. It was great seeing all of the others against each other. I can see that it was a lot of work and great expense to do it. Thank you for doing this comparison.

I just ordered a fistfull of GSI products thanks to your videos. Seems like the majority of their catalog does exactly what it's supposed to and does it very well. I'm excited to get some hands on experience!

Another old favorite is Walther's Solvaset. It's strong.

Tip. Tamiya flat clear has been known to eat some decals.it a little too hot. It needs a barrier like testers flat coat first. I usually do (on armor and aircraft) Tamiya-decals-testors-Tamiya. Personally I think Tamiya is superior to testors flat clear. I will try mr. setter,usually use Tamiya mark fit strong. Very informative video. Stay safe 🍻🌲

Thank you for taking the time to create this video, unreal amount of work 👍

Thanks much. New at this stuff and looking to order some decal stuff. This was very helpful, and the length of video was fine. This much testing takes a longer video to see it all, and how it all works.

Nice test! When I was a kid making models I only used water. Picked up Mr. Mark Setter/Softer when I got back into it.

As usual a really good review and test, I have now just gone and bought Mr Mark Setter and Softener. Thanks again from 🇬🇧 look forward to more reviews.

love that you put so much time and money into these long-form videos for the community.

Thanks for the comparison. Tests are very helpful. Thank you. I have been using Mr. Mark Setter and Softer on my models for a long time and the result is spectacular.

Another great one B! I have been using the Microsol/set for years but will look out for the Mr/Tamiya versions from now on.

Excellent video , I found the Mr Mark Setter to be the best. It is quite comparable with AK 3rd Generation acrylic thinned with rain water, decal then applied and then Microscale Clear Gloss over the top of it. :)

Again, I always seem to find your videos of subject matter just before I start to do them! This was fantastic, thanks for all the tests you perform, it truly helps a lot, especially for people like me who are rather new to this sort of thing.

I remember trying waterside decals as a kid and man was it a bad time lol so much so that 30 years later I'm using the dry transfer and sticker decals for my gunpla and nervous to try waterslide even though I know they look better in the end. But watching your videos might give me enough confidence to try them out again

thank you so much for taking the time to do this and for being so thorough!

uble.Invaluable to all model makers. Well done for taking the trouble.

I have been using the Mr Hobby ones for the last few years and i love them ,I am glad to see this because I was wondering how some of the others worked ,also I used the splash paints White Primer yesterday and let me tell you ,one of the easiest primers I have ever sprayed ,It does look to have a greyish tint to it in the bottle so i was worried but dried totally white ,great product I think you will be happy with the paints when you spray them ,I am going to spray the Mecha White today and I am expecting the same results as the primer !

Excellent review of decal solutions...and I've been a Micro-Sol/Micro-Set user for many years...as well as Micro Kristal Klear for canopy/window gluing/repair. One alternative to the Testors Decal Bonder that I've used successfully is Krylon Crystal Clear acrylic spray...it's a solvent based acrylic and a couple light coats really helps old decals stay solid.

Really appreciate you going to the effort to do all this, I've been struggling with the Tamiya Mark Fit (regular) as it has barely touched the eBay decals I have, and did leave staining or attacked the paint of the decal, so I used Tamiya Decal Adhesive (which you didn't test) and found that to be quite a bit better... I guess not all decals are created equal but I'll certainly be picking up some Mr. Mark Setter next time I'm at my LHS (plus a new LiPo for my radio transmitter that just decided to puff up...)

Didn't even think about decals thank you for such a great tutorial and vid

I've run-into some old decals which required simmering water, to release. Adding a drop of dish washing detergent makes the decal less "sticky".Thanks for the research!

appreciate the time you put into these comparison videos one hell of a lot of work when they are over an hour edited

Thank You, I've been using stuff that been in the USA for the last 50 years. I seem to be slowly changing over to Tamiya.

Glad this popped up in my videos. Been wanting to try other solutions.

thank you. i'm having a hard time trying to figure out which one to use. now, i know.

VERY GOOD! I am an old hand at models but I have stayed stuck in my old habits. First I was surprised to see no mention of Walthers' Solvaset. Sold for model railroads and far older than you or most video watchers, but still very good decal softener. In fact it can be so powerful that one must use it carefully. I use MS setter/softener then let the decal dry then attack it with Solvaset to get the decal down over rivets, etc. It's cost is mid-range but usually available through many hobby shops. It reeks of strong acetic acid. Re; Stains- I was taught to wait until the decal \and softener were dry then GENTLY go over the decal with a damp Q-tip, or lint free rag or whatever and GENTLY wash off the remains of the setting solution before coating. I was also taught to use a gloss or gloss coated surface then decal, then gloss AGAIN before applying the dullcoat - properly applied decals disappear! I was very interested in your results with the chrome paint. Some model train passenger cars come with a plated metal finish that is darned hard to get good results with decals. Many years ago the HAWK model company did a series of plated plastic aircraft kits that had the same difficulty - decals just looked HORRIBLE against that finish, I don't know if you have done it but I would suggest a test of finishing coatings. Many aircraft guys swear by a coat of acrylic floor coating (Future) for a gloss finish. I always used Glosscoat and Dullcoat but these have been backordered (at least in my region). I have used Krylon Matte Finish but only changed about a month ago. I get good brush results with Vallejo Matte Varnish (I use that when I apply a small decal or need to re-dull a touch up). I would be interested to see your shoot out. Sorry for the long-winded reply but the decal solution test really is a benefit! Thanks for doing this!

Wow - what a great comparison. Thank you for such a thorough and involved effort - much appreciated.

i bought the mr. hobby products just because the tamiya brand (which i prefer for paints, supplies, kits, and tools) is impossible to find online. i haven't used it on anything yet but i'm glad to see that in a fair shootout, it was the clear winner. great how that works out. the bottle of mr mark softer has a warning label about the staining. thank you for the in-depth video. every reviewer on youtube should do their videos this way. btw, i took a shot every time you mispronounced tamiya and "aluminum." i am now dead.

Excellent video just the information I needed for my decal project, can’t find the setting tool in Canada , but will keep looking

Great video i'm glad i bought the Mr. Mark Setter. Your video's are great and i highly recommend them for someone like myself just getting into the hobby.

Very helpful. Bought the Mr. Mark Setter/Softer today.

Been watching your videos for about a month and wanted to thank you for such great and informative info. Searching for products is difficult when you dont know what you're looking for. Also for anyone having a hard time getting the decal positioning tool, its just a clay modeling tool.

at the end you are the great teacher..

Great vid & appreciated to your effort on this vid My opinion - 1st we do clear lacquer on model surface, then decals are applied later apply Matt coat - just my opinion that the matt coat can also secure as the decals fixer....

Great work, thank you very much, this needs to go out to all those putting forward vinegar as a "solution". One thing I would have liked to have seen is a 'control' showing what a decal looks like if used straight from the backing paper. I'm guessing it would look pretty much like the vinegar? Without a comparison we might have room to conclude "vinegar is better than nothing"!

Thank you so much for this comprehensive video. It's great! I found you a few months ago looking for info on cleaning Gunpla with an Ultrasonic. Big fan of the way you present product.

OMG ! AMAZING MY FRIEND ! what a knowledge thank you for this video you are awesome !

Extremely helpful, thank yiu

A great review. You should add the "thank$" button to all your uploaded videos. If you had gloss-coated all test pieces first and used a clean facial tissue to actually press the applied decals into place after using the 'set' solution 1, you'd have much better results over the rivets for each of the brands. The 'silvering' you've experienced around the edges is air bubbles trapped under the decal's clear film over the microscopically rough surface of the nearly-matte Tamiya base-paint. I know you did a subsequent test video on applying decals over matte vs gloss paint. I also gloss-coat over the finished decals to blend the gloss of the decal out with the subject's surface; let dry two days, then hit it all with the final matte clear coat (for military non-specular finishes). One question: did you rinse/clean your application brush between the various solutions to avoid 'cross-contamination' of your test solutions?

Awesome video. Thanks for the time to test and share it! 🙌🏻👍🏻🤘🏻

Great video! I'm sitting here panel lining a gundam while watching this. Decals scare me but I like how your process is outlined here. Just wondering if you have any tips for dealing with waterslide decals for RG or just tiny decals in general.

Totally worth every sec. of your time !

very interssting . :) thank you !! so mutch. 1:10:25 impressiv result for tamijas markseter

Awesome video! Very helpful and informative. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into the videos.

Thanks for the video. On the Testors decal set, I have a small bottle of it found in a drawer the other day. The funny thing is that it's blue in color. Wonder if mislabeled. Will be going with the first or last ones.

Really helpful thanks a lot for this. I just picked up mr mark so will give it a go, been struggling with Microsol to get a consistent finish

Awesome video. I recommend for your next test the decals solution from VMS brand. The product is as good as their varnish.

Thanks man, great work, very helpful.

Like always your analysis and test are priceless. Thanks for your time and this very useful videos.

Hi excellent teaching sir !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, ps I would have watched another hour !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Respect Tom from England 🇬🇧,

Thanks for the comparison. I use Tamiya Strong, but will order the Bundle set of Mr Hobby green and blue after watching your video. I use Tamiya Strong with Tamiya thick decals mainly. Would have been nice to try with famously difficult decals like Academy old decals, not the newer ones made by cartograh. Tamiya thicker ones, Heller kits, etc. But thanks for savings us money by picking the best and the cheap stuff that works fine. You are the scale modeling Consumer Report 😃

Very good video as always. I applaud your efforts in all your videos. I know it’s a ton of work filming and editing all of it. Your an MVP in our modeling community. Thanks for sharing.

This is really an outstanding video. Many thanks for your efforts!

Great job, I'm glad I watched.

Mr. Barbatos Rex, this was an outstanding lecture on decals. My favorite was the Mr. Mark duet. I was thinking if it was possible for you to give a lecture on dry decals. I seem to have a difficult time with them. I was just asking my friend. I sure that the modeling world would agree with me. "I Hope." Kudos and thank you!!!

Lol you make good videos learned alot, Listening to it like it your 1st time making video

Great set of testing videos, much appreciated.

LONG Video, but so worth it! It was like taking a class. Thanks, as always, for taking the time to share this! Personally, I'd probably go with the Tamiya Mark Fit Strong, as it seemed, to me, pretty much the same as the Mr. Mark stuff, didn't stain the chrome, AND it was only a single-step process (versus the 2 of the Mr. stuff, though the single stage seemed okay as well). And Tamiya also seems easier to get. But that's me. :) Thanks again!

Great review, thank you. Mr. Mark set on order!

great test ordered the Mr. and the Vallejo thanks

I use Micro Sol for my decals. I usually use a hair dryer to dry the decal after putting the Micro set and then I put the Micros sol and let it dry on it’s self.

Great test.well worth the watching😊

You are an absolute legend! Thank you!

Thank you again Tamiya looks good.

Great test and video. The way you mounted some of the decals really screwed with my OCD ;) I usually have a thermos standing by to save time with warm water.

Excellent video buddy. And I agree with you on the results.

I use micro set & sol, but seeing your comparison just might get Mr Mark Setter & softer.👍👍

Thanks for a comprehensive review. Any chance you could give Solvaset a try? I've used most of the solutions in your comparison and I always go back to Solvaset for the most stubborn decals.

Superb. Lots of hard work, thank you, perfect review. I've always used Micro Sol & Set - it's been okay, but not perfect. Ironically I've not made models during pandemic and the lids have 'rotted' on them, so I've lost half a bottle of each. It's hard to get at times being a US product (I'm in the UK). I thought that I might give Vellejo a go, but the more I use Mr Hobby products the more I like them and discover about them.

Awesome test

Your video was incredibly helpful! Thank you

Great job! I have been looking forward to this video. You have confirmed what several other's videos had in there findings. Take care and keep up the good work.

A hack I learned that works wonders is keeping your cup/bowl on a candle warmer so the water is hot and you can just dip for 3-5 seconds and go straight to placing so there is less time drying and soaking.

Great video, thanks for sharing. I have been using , Microlol or Solvaset (Waltherthers) for years and always have good luck with both. You just proved. For the money I can’t go wrong. I would like to you try out the Solvaset sometime. I think you would be surprised with the results.

Another thorough, informative video. Great work, thanks for the detail.

Awesome video. I'm going to try the Tamiya mark fit strong. Been a Micro scale fan for years but this test looks like there are better ones on the market.